LSD

A lethal hallucinogen.

LSD Addiction and Rehab

General Information:

LSD is a powerful hallucinogenic that takes the user on an
“acid trip” where the person’s senses and reality are altered. Hallucinogens
are substances which distort someone’s perception of reality. While under the
influence of drugs like LSD, a user may have delusions, see images, hear sounds, and feel sensations that feel like they are really happening -- but are not
real. Hallucinogens produce rapid, intense mood swings, and the user may feel
several emotions simultaneously.

LSD stands for Lysergic Acid Diethylamide and it is
manufactured from ergot, a fungus that grows on rye. LSD dissolves in water and
is odorless, colorless, and tasteless. LSD was first synthesised in 1938 by the
Swiss chemist Albert Hoffman who was looking for a new way to treat headaches. In
1943, Dr. Hofmann discovered LSD’s hallucinogenic properties by accidentally
swallowing some of it. A few years later, scientists in the US began
experimenting with LSD, at first with animals. LSD was tried as a treatment for
alcoholism, schizophrenia, depression, narcotics addictions, sexual
dysfunction, and criminal behavior. It had no positive effect on any of these
conditions. On the contrary, LSD seemed to cause or aggravate personality
disorders. Research in the US was banned in 1962 and soon after, it appeared as
a street drug. By the late 1960s its distribution had become epidemic and it
was declared illegal.

LSD can induce altered states of thinking, synesthesia
(the crossover of senses like hearing colors and seeing sounds), and visual
hallucinations. When abusing LSD, the user can believe that he or she is having
an intense spiritual experience. It produces an altered sense of time and can
tremendously distort reality. LSD is taken orally. It comes in a liquid,
absorbent paper, tablet, or capsule and is known as acid, dots, blotter, sugar
cube, and microdot.

Although LSD is not physically addictive, the
psychological side effects can be extremely intense and dangerous. People have
died as a result of taking LSD because the experience is so intense that they
commit suicide due to a bad trip, or they think they can fly and jump off a
high rise building.

The user becomes addicted to the sounds they see or the
visions they hear. They become addicted to the ‘spiritual journeys’ that are
taken. Individuals abusing LSD often begin because of peer pressure or
curiosity.

There is no set time-frame for LSD
withdrawal. Most people that use this drug do not notice
any withdrawal effects. As soon as a person comes down from
their psychedelic “trip", everything reverts back to normal. Everyone reacts differently to the drug that is LSD.

Some users may become increasingly
spiritual, while others may just do something crazy. During the withdrawal, it
does take certain people a while to return to how they were before they used the
drug. A person who used LSD pretty frequently for a long period of time may
take months before they feel completely recovered to “normal” again. A person
may experience flashbacks days, months, or years after using the drug.

ONSET OF WITHDRAWALS:

NA

DURATION OF WITHDRAWALS

NA

Signs and Symptoms:

Despite the absence of common physical withdrawal
symptoms, the former user could experience something called as HPPD
(Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder) due to prolonged exposure to LSD.
HPPD is a continual distortion after a trip is over, ranging from milder
alterations to full-blown flashbacks. This disorder may include: